You Still Got That Ring?
by Aello-ello
Summary: "Are you kidding? I been carrying this since 2008!" A collection of short moments beginning with how Happy ended up with the ring, and following it through until its appearance in 'Spider-Man: Homecoming'. Tony/Pepper.
1. November 2008

**AN: Hi everyone! This is going to be a series of short moments coming from the scene at the end of 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' when Tony proposes to Pepper and Happy claims to have been carrying the ring around since 2008, and, as expected, none of it belongs to me. The chapters are all short, but because each one jumps forward quite a bit in time I felt it worked better for each to get a chapter of its own. The title of each chapter is the month and year in which it takes place, but I know there's a lot of dispute over dates and timelines in the MCU so for clarity I will put an AN for each one to explain when it occurs relative to the films.**

 **This chapter is set before the beginning of 'Iron Man'.**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **November 2008**

"Just lift your feet off the ground a bit more, boss, almost there" Happy Hogan grunted, oblivious to the beauty of the sunrise as he hauled his employer towards the mansion.

"Happy, Haaaappy, listen t'me, I need you t'do somethin' for me." Tony slurred as they reached the door.

"I'm already doing it – I'm getting you home." Happy shot back, straining to reach his pocket without dropping Tony. "JARVIS open the door, could you?"

"Certainly, sir." came the reply as the door swung open.

With new found enthusiasm Happy dragged Tony across the room and deposited him on the sofa.

"Right - night, boss!" he called, already making his way out again.

"Happy waaaait! I still need you to do the thing for me!"

Rubbing a hand over his groggy eyes, he turned back to face his employer.

"I need you to keep it secret though! It is of the extremestest importance than no people find out about this 'cept for you."

Happy nodded, internally counting how many hours sleep he could get before he had to collect Miss Potts for work while Tony fumbled about in the pockets of his rumpled suit jacket. Eventually he produced a small, velvet box and held it up for Happy to see.

"No! Tony, tell me you didn't!" he exclaimed, shaking out of his stupor. "This'll be a nightmare for Miss Potts to sort!"

"Nooooooo, Hogan, you misinterpertate. Pepper'll love it." Tony grinned, waving the box around in his hand.

"I really don't think she will, boss. How public was it? How much do the media know?"

"Course she'll love it, it'll suit her perfectly." Tony mumbled sappily as he opened the box to admire the ring inside.

Happy stood for a moment, unsure if his tired brain had heard Tony's words correctly. Suddenly Tony was standing a few feet from him, narrowly avoiding Happy's nose as he waved the box in front of his face.

"I need you to mind it for a bit." he said, looking suddenly much more sober than he had been before. "Just 'til I get a few things sorted out."

"Okaaaay," Happy replied, watching Tony suspiciously, "Look I'm far too tired for your games, Tony, I want to go to sleep and you should too."

"I'm not playin' any games here. I need you to keep a hold of it, just for a few years or so, so when I talk Pepper round to it she can marry me."

"And that's going to happen?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Course it is. Just not just yet. Which is WHY I need you to look after it. And then when I need it I'll know where it is."

Tony was giving his best sincere puppy eyes, but it was the thought of his soft bed at home that won Happy over.

"If I take it can I leave?" He asked sullenly.

"Absolutely."

"Fine." he said, grabbing the tiny box and storming towards the door. "But I hope you're thoroughly embarrassed about this in the morning."

"I won't be." Tony called cheerfully as Happy shut the door.

"You're right, it'll be the afternoon."


	2. February 2011

**AN: This chapter is set between 'Iron Man' and 'Iron Man 2' :)**

* * *

 **February 2011**

"Boss, the car's ready."

"We'll just be a minute, Happy, the games almost over." Tony replied without moving his eyes from the screen.

"Thanks, Mr H." Rhodey replied from next to him on the sofa. "Why don't you join us for the last few minutes?"

Tony looked over suddenly.

"No, he doesn't, y'know he just drives, he doesn't watch football, do you?" he rambled.

"Actually, I do." he replied pointedly, removing his suit jacket and taking the seat beside Rhodey. As he folded the jacket over his knee as small box fell from it, and landed on the floor with a muted thud.

"Hey, what's that?" Rhodey asked, picking it up.

"Oh it's not mine, it's Tony's…" Happy started to say, trailing off when he noticed the angry look Tony was directing at him.

"This is yours?" Rhodey asked, turning to Tony, opening the box, and holding it towards him.

"Oh, it's, ah, it's for emergencies." He declared as if it were completely obvious.

"How often does proposing to someone help in an emergency?" Rhodey asked laughing.

Happy practically could see the cogs turning in Tony's brain as he thought of an answer.

"It's for when I run into girls I used to know who think things are gonna pick up where they left off, if you get what I mean." At Rhodey's incredulous eyebrow he continued.

"I just slip it on Pepper and pretend we're engaged." Tony muttered quickly, turning to stare resolutely at the television.

"And how maybe times has this worked exactly?" Rhodey chuckled.

"I haven't needed to use it yet, but I'm sure when the time comes it will work perfectly. Get to the car, Hogan, we're leaving now." He said, shoving his feet into his shoes and standing up.

"But the game isn't over yet…" Rhodey whined, but Tony was already heading towards the door, leaving his friend and his chauffeur to regretfully trail after him.


	3. June 2011

**AN: This is the shortest chapter by miles haha, it's set immediately after 'Iron Man 2' :)**

* * *

 **June 2011**

"Bit surprised you're going into work at all, if I'm honest, boss. After all that went on last night you'd actually deserve a day off." Happy called back from the driver's seat, rolling the divide down as they pulled up in front of Stark Industries.

"Yeah, well, figured I'd probably be needed to do press, so…" Tony replied distractedly.

"I suppose you're right," Happy replied, getting out of the car and opening Tony's door for him, "Just unnerving seeing you taking so much responsibility."

"Very funny, Hogan." Tony shot back as he stepped onto the pavement. "Do you know, is Pepper here yet?"

"Ah!" Happy chuckled, "That's why you're here!"

"I don't know what you mean." Tony declared seriously, meeting Happy's eyes in an unflinching gaze.

"Don't bother, boss. Rhodey told me what happened on that roof."

Tony began to climb the steps to the reception, shoulders tensed, handling the taunts with none of his usual swagger.

"It's been a long time coming, though to be fair to you, you did tell me you were gonna get it sorted out…"

Tony spun back to face him, and Happy calmly met his gaze as he slowly lifted one hand to pat the pocket of his jacket. Sending a knowing smirk that, to his surprise, caused a slight colour to appear on his employer's cheeks, Happy returned to his car.


	4. April 2016

**AN: A much longer chapter to make up for how short the last one was haha, set just before 'Captain America: Civil War'**

* * *

 **April 2016**

"Tony? Everything alright in here?" Happy called out as he opened the door of the mansion and stepped into the unlit room beyond.

"JARVIS where's Tony?"

The AI replied, "Mr Stark is in his workshop presently."

"Thanks, JARVIS." Happy muttered as he set off down the stairs.

Through the glass panels he could see a pair of denim clad legs protruding from beneath a car, with various boxes of takeaway littered around them. Happy tried his thumbprint on the scanner but it didn't allow him access, and he had thumped his heavy fist on the door several times before Tony finally slid out from under the vehicle and called to JARVIS to let him in.

"Is everything alright, Tony? You haven't called for me to take you anywhere in days, Pepper said she'd cancelled all your appointments for you, but she seems to be in work even longer hours than ever. What's going on?"

"Nothing." Tony stated, wiping his hands on a rag. "I'm taking a few days to focus in the shop is all. And what Pepper does is her call."

"Are you sure everything's okay with Pepper?" Happy asked, changing approach. "She seemed a bit off last couple of days."

"Did she?" Tony asked sharply, for the first time looking interested in the conversation, before he abruptly turned back to his workstation, picking up a spanner and testing the weight of it in his hand. "Course it's none of my business. Not anymore."

"Boss, did yous… Are yous not…" Happy stumbled.

"Let's just say you can probably throw that ring away." Tony said, tinges of sadness and regret seeping through his forced cheerful tone.

"Or give it to charity, or propose to someone yourself with it, I don't mind, probably better it goes to do some good for someone." Tony rambled, as he selected a few more tools and carried them back to his space on the floor.

"Is there, um… Is there anything I could do for you?" Happy asked, looking around at the mess of machine parts and empty food cartons that covered almost every surface.

"Nah, I'll be alright." Tony mumbled sadly, staring up at Happy from his crouched position on the floor, looking to Happy far from a superhero entrepreneur and much more like a confused, sad little boy running to his toys for comfort.

"If you're sure." Happy replied, but Tony was already back under the car.

Being careful to close the glass door gently behind him, Happy made his way back upstairs, and took the ring out from his pocket. He contemplated the small box for moment, before he set it down firmly on the now dimly lit kitchen counter, and walked briskly towards the door. After only a few steps he turned back. Taking the ring out of the box, he grabbed a sticky note and pen from his pocket and scribbled that it was Tony's choice what to do with it. Then he carefully threaded the ring onto the key chain loop inside his trouser pocket and left.


	5. October 2016

**AN: You might recognise this scene haha, it's heavily borrowed from the end of 'Spider-Man: Homecoming', but the story wouldn't have felt complete without bringing it to this moment. I had great fun writing the world as experienced by Happy Hogan, this has been a random piece but I've particularly enjoyed writing it and I hope you've had as much fun reading it :)**

* * *

 **October 2016**

"Told ya he's a good kid."

Tony only gestured and smirked in reply.

"Where's the kid?" Pepper demanded, the sound of journalists shouting her name following her as she escaped the press conference, and Happy felt his joy at being right melting away as he realised how much trouble they were in.

"He left." Happy threw in, trying to reduce the damage by telling her straight away.

"Everybody's waiting!"

"You know what, he actually made a really mature choice." Tony took over, turning on his billionaire playboy charm. "Just surprised the heck out of us."

Happy knew she would see through Tony in an instant.

"Did you guys screw this up?"

"He told the kid to go wait in the car." Tony declared, giving up his act in favour of throwing Happy under the bus.

"Are you kidding me?" Pepper demanded as Happy tried to stammer out an apology, "I have a room full of people in there and they're waiting for some big announcement – what am I going to tell them?"

"Think of something." came Tony's reply, "How about, um…"

Suddenly Tony turned to face him, "Hey Hap, you still got that ring?"

Happy struggled to form words as he frantically checked his pockets, forgetting in the panic of the moment that the ring was exactly where he always made sure it was; safely threaded onto the inside of his trouser pocket. Finding it at last, he removed it from the metal key ring and handed it to Tony with a triumphant smile.

"Are you kidding? I been carrying this since 2008!"

Watching Tony and Pepper bicker back and forth he couldn't call for sure if she would accept the unusual proposal, but as she kissed him and headed back to the room, muttering in disbelief at how long he had minded the ring for Tony, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He threw the ring to Tony, who caught it deftly with one hand and disappeared into the press conference, and Happy walked away, smiling.


End file.
